The president of Alberta’s key engineering society has stepped down. Calgary’s Jim Gilliland resigned in the wake of his firm being found guilty of endangering safety at a downtown Calgary strata complex. His company, Williams Engineering Canada, potentially faces sanctions from the society.

Anya Sass and Habib Alibrahim were at wits end late last month. The Calgary woman and her Syrian husband had all but given up on Canadian immigration officials approving his permanent residence application; a process they were told would take 24 months.

Some walked away ecstatic, with a new lease on life. Others left frustrated, saddened and feeling stuck. Calgary cabbies crowded into a northeast hotel room Wednesday, hoping to receive one of 126 new licence plates released through an auction, granting them the freedom to dictate their own hours, avoid broker fees and earn a bigger paycheque.

With Calgary short by a half-dozen beverage container recycling centres — and controversy or planning hurdles wherever they’re proposed — the city will soon allow smaller quick-drop facilities as alternative to the bigger depots.

They carried shopping bags and laundry baskets, lugged suitcases and pushed trolley carts. Many residents of downtown Calgary affected by an underground fire and power outage spent Sunday morning hauling belongings from their highrise apartments and condos.

Increased demand for ice time at Canada Olympic Park will mean youth players in some parts of the city will have to travel farther for games and practices. The Bow River Bruins Hockey Association, the largest in the city, recently sent a letter to parents saying players in all age divisions will have more games and practices elsewhere as a result.

Calgary city bureaucrats should be subjected to a much dimmer “Sunshine List” than their peers in the Alberta government or many other Canadian cities, city officials are recommending to council. Unlike most systems that disclose the names and compensations of all high-earning employees — $100,000 or more, for the Alberta list — Calgary’s proposed system would name all staff and all positions.

Some residents in an upscale southwest suburb are battling hard against efforts by their community association to build a playground they say would be better left as open green space. Community leaders in Springbank Hill say they’ve spent two years surveying area residents, distributing flyers and newsletters and holding an open house to assess support for the playground.

Calgary fans of the recreational sport of slacklining just want to walk their tightropes in peace. But slacklining — a fringe sport involving tying webbing between trees or rocks to balance on — clashes with a City of Calgary bylaw that prohibits objects being secured to city trees and carries a $100 fine.

Alvin and Kathy Liknes were planning a major change in their lives. The couple had spent the weekend selling what they owned in Calgary, a friend said, and were moving to a condo they had bought in Mexico.

Controversial street preacher Artur Pawlowski and three parishioners have been convicted of breaching a city bylaw by joining the Calgary Stampede’s Centennial Parade two years ago. In his written decision released on Friday, provincial court Judge Mark Tyndale upheld the Calgary Municipal Traffic Bylaw, and said Pawlowski’s rights to freedom of expression may have been infringed to an extent, but Pawlowski contravened the same rights of both the Stampede and spectators at the downtown parade to kick off the Stampede on July 6, 2012.

Paying city fees by credit card may be quick and convenient for Calgarians — particularly those collecting reward points — but it’s costing the city millions each year that critics argue could be better spent elsewhere. A Freedom of Information request filed by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and obtained by the Herald, found the City of Calgary paid nearly $2.6 million to process credit card transactions in 2013.

The crumbling wall of a downtown Calgary office building is being taken down brick by brick to prevent any further collapse. City officials, the building’s owners, engineers and the Calgary Fire Department met Monday morning to discuss what to do about the structure, after damage worsened over the weekend, leaving a gaping hole in the wall about six metres by four metres.

Coun. Andre Chabot wants an end to that chronic Sunday-morning sidewalk mess: bus shelter shattered glass. He’s planning to put forward a notice of motion at the council meeting on June 9 to experiment with more break-resistant shelter materials at some of Calgary’s worst sites, including areas like his ward’s Marlborough community.

On weekdays, community halls across the city are hubs for mom and tot groups, bridge clubs, fitness classes and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. On weekends, wedding guests, families celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, private partygoers and in some cases, city police, come through community centre doors.

Residents of a northeast mobile home park say they are in the dark about a pending deal on the future of their community. Years after city council sparked controversy over plans to relocate residents of Midfield Mobile Home Park from its current digs on 16 Avenue N.E. to the city’s outskirts, Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said council approved a new proposal during a recent closed-door meeting.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.